Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-03
CONGRESSIONAL.
Senator Plumb Makes Sport OF the
House, Which is Defended by Sena-
tor German OF Maryland.
The House Passes the Fisheries Retaliation
Bill Practically az 1t Came from
the Senate.
MIX CONGRESS.
The SENATE.

THE SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March among the
papers presented by the presiding officer
was communication from the Secretary
Of War, with copies of ali dispatches from
General Miles referring to the surrender
of Geronimo, and the instructions and
correspondence relating to same as called
for by recent resolution. ordered
printed.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Senator Hoar authorizing the committee
on privileges and elections to continue
during recess the Texas Investigation was
adopted.
The Senate then proceeded to consider
alton of the naval appropriation bills. An
amendment was inserted in the item for
the Bureau of Steam Engineering provid-
ing that 10 part of the appropriation
shall be applied 20 the repair of engines
and machinery Of wooden ships where the
estimated cost Of the repair shall exceed
20 per cent. of the cost of new engines and
machinery of the same character and pow
er. Under the head of increase OF the navy
the committee recommends striking out
the House provision for two swift double
bottomed steel cruisers and for four
gunboats, all to cost, exclusive of arma-
ment, not more than S4,950,000, and the
substitution of two new sections provid-
ing for six protected steel cruisers, with
speed of not less than twenty knots. to
cost, exclusive of armament, not more
than S9,000,000, and appropriating that
amount; also apprOpriating for armament
of such vessels S2,SS0,000 also appro-
priating SG,OO0,00O for heavily armored
vessels of floating batteries or rams for
coast and harbor defense; also appro-
priating $4,000 for light draught gun
boats: also 100000 for torpedo boats,
and 100000 for torpedoes and 81 800, 900
for armament of these vessels.
Senator Gray questioned the policy of
the provision of requiring six steel cruis
ers TO be built on or near the coast Of the
Pacific ocean, end two of them on or near
the coast Of the Gulf of Mexico. This
was only trammeling the Secretary of
the Navy and interfering with the gen
eral objects proposed. He was in favor
OF the accomplishment of what the sec
ton proposed, namely: Creation of
six swift, available and efficient cruisers,
and therefore he moved to strike out that
provision.
Senator Hale, who has charge OF the
bill, stated when the ten cruiser bill was
up some weeks $50 similar provision
had b2en adopted after full discussion on
the motion Of the Senator from Alabama
Morgan. He had believed then and be-
lieved now that one or two of these YES
sells could be built, and built speedily,
on the Pacific coast. The committee on
appropriations had embodied these
features in this amendment taking pro-
portionate part, as whole numbers had
been cut down and instead of giving two
TO the Pacific coast had given one, and
instead of giving three to the Gulf of
Mexico had given two, leaving three to
the Atlantic coast.
Senator GRAY modified his motion so as
to make the clause, that if it shall appear
to the President that the vessels cannot
be constructed at fair cost on the Pacific
or the gulf he "may consider and accept
bids for building said vessels al other
Places" instead of suspending their con-
struction until further action OF Con-
gress. Senator MaIey said there should
be at least one great navy yard estab-
lished on the gulf coast where the best
were at hand.
The question was then taken on Senator
Gray's amendment as modified, and it
was rejected.
Senator Plumb moved to strike out the
item S6,000,000 for heavily armored YES
sells or batteries or rams for coast de-
lenses. He argued it was not possible to
make armored vessels that would keep
up, in power of resistance, with the in
crease in power of projectiles: in other
words, that the power of defense was
greater than the power Of offense. He
was quite sure that if the bill was accom-
panied by provision of tax to pay the
expenditure. the expenditure would not
be made. 1t was to some extent con-
comitant of the large surplus in the
treasury. He was not in favor of put
ting a tscrew upon the House of Repre-
now talked of as disorgan-
lied mob which had no conviction on this
or any other subject, and whose
only idea was to avoid an extra session
of Congress. 1t was cruel to impose this
provision upon them and to put them
under certain compuIslon TO take it, un-
der penalty of an extra session If they
refused it. He was opposed to taking
advantage of the PROSTATE condition of
the House o! Represen, atives, not half OF
whose members had been elected to the
next Congress, and nearly all of whom
were DESTROYS to get out of Washington
at the earliest possible moment.
Senator Hale opposed the striking out
of the item.
Senator German did not think the Sen
ator from Kansas had done full Justice to
the conferees on the part of the House in
seeking to throw upon them the
entire responsibility of failure to
agree. The Senate had met the question
as Americans, and probably had been in
advance of the other branch of Congress
IS to the amount of money which it was
willing to appropriate, but the repre-
sentatives of the people had been equally
and were not ready to 90 Sc
far as the Senate desired. At this point
Of the discussion the bill was laid aside
and the Senate went into
secret session, and subsequently took
4 recess until $3.50 p. N.
EVENING SESSION.
Consideration Of the naval appropria- |
ton bill was resumed, the question being
On Mr.. Plumb's amendment to strike out |
Of the amendment of the committee the |
ITEM of S6,000,000 for heavily armored |
vessels, or armored floating batteries or
rams to be used for coast and harbor de-
.ense. The amendment was rejected |
without division.